Halfway through his Wall, hanging between gravity and the tension of his Rope, the Man seems to have lost everything, to have put everything on hold, attached to his last string of hope.

THE MAN

Looking closer at his face, his smile and his gaze, reveals more depth to the situation. You see the will of a young Man willing to take on every fall with a smile. He actually uses this setback to gain perspective.

In fact, perspective in rock climbing is one of the most important key players in a climber’s mind. He gets to better understand his environment by looking around him and carefully dissecting various parameters of the climb. Perspective also gives him the ability to look back at his last performance, analyze his moves and extract his weaknesses that may have led to his last mistake. And finally, gaining perspective is an opportunity to recall the climb and strategize better in order to invest his strengths in a smarter way.

            Looking closer at his face, reveals the gratitude he has. He appreciates his efforts, both his mind’s and body’s. He acknowledges the result that was put in, and the level he has been able to reach. His gratitude is the recognition he feels knowing that he has outworked himself.

            Broader than his face and deeper than his gaze, the Man reveals one last layer, crucial to his climb: his attitude. Meticulously hanging midair, his body language, the tension in his muscles and the heat coming from his fast blood circulation disclose the vantage point from which he is standing. He knows that he has not been defeated, he knows that he holds a position of progress. And that at this specific moment, on that rope, he will make his comeback.

Meticulously hanging mid-air, he knows that he has not been defeated.

elias soueidi

THE ROPE

Compared to the mass and volume of the climber, the elastic 8.6mm rope is his only string of hope, safety net and support system.

            Looking closer at the rope, it is not singular. It is actually a fractal system of geometry composed of smaller ropes which themselves are composed of even smaller ones which are made out of smaller ones. The support system appears to be more complex than it looks. And the only string of hope no longer is one, but it is a universe of strength and power working together for the sake of the climber. The rope is in fact denser than it looks, becoming the support system that surrounds the climber, providing his safety and offering him a chance to lead his way up the wall.

THE WALL

Merging from the ground, standing tall against the surface of the Earth, the Wall is the climber’s ambition. Its grandeur is the Vision he aims for, the dreams he wishes to achieve.

            Looking closer at the wall’s crust, opportunities in the form of holds arise, some are more obvious than others, others may require more knowledge or get more technical. Those opportunities are what the climber is looking for, he spots them, seizes them, and holds on to them becoming one with the wall. An unmatchable connection is established.

            Perhaps the wall has multiple holds or fewer ones, perhaps it has one deep cave, perhaps a series of caves or an overhang, whatever its shape or appearance just holding on and communicating with the essence of this wall, the climber establishes a relationship with it, he becomes the Wall.

Albertino Kreiker is a Lebanese rock climber who inspired us to write this blog post due to his diligence, and his deep passion for rock climbing. He is one of the most sought-after young athletes in Lebanon, and his ambitions go beyond the limits of the Lebanese crags. Albertino is an inspiration to many climbers around him and has helped his community thrive and evolve by being a leader on and off the walls!

SEE YOU AT THE TOP!